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English

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,C-A,B,B

We welcome applications from students on Access to Higher Education Diplomas.

UCAS Tariff

96-128

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About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Part-time | 2024

Subject

English studies

Are you fascinated by literature and its cultural and political contexts? Our BA English offers you the chance to study the full range of English literature and to develop valuable new skills in writing, reading and critical thinking.

Based on our historic campus in the heart of London, you’ll gain a detailed knowledge of literary works from the medieval period to the present day and discover authors from a variety of places and cultures.

Foundational modules introduce you to key techniques in literary analysis, and show you how theoretical approaches such as feminism, post-colonialism and psychoanalysis can transform the ways in which you read and think. You'll build key skills in:

- close reading

- academic and professional writing

- using literary theories

- undertaking research.

You can then choose from a range of option modules that allow you to focus on single authors, genres and literary periods.

You’ll read texts by writers such as Dickens, Zadie Smith, Shakespeare and Plath, encounter genres such as science fiction and romance, and explore literary forms from the novel to comics and beyond. The course’s flexible structure allows you to shape your degree according to your own literary and critical interests.

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

**Highlights**

- You will be taught by world-leading scholars. The Department of English, Theatre and Creative Writing is ranked 2nd in the UK for its research excellence.

- Birkbeck is located in the heart of literary London, in Bloomsbury, WC1. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group. The building houses our own creative hub which includes the Peltz Gallery, the Gordon Square Cinema and a theatre and performance space.

- Based at the heart of one of the world's most exciting cities, we combine lectures, seminars and workshops with visits to theatres and other cultural and artistic institutions, and we frequently collaborate with leading arts, cultural, theatre and dance and performing arts organisations, allowing you to ground your studies in real-world practice.

- If you opt for the three-year full-time or four-year part-time course, you can apply to take part in a competitive industry placement module, which offers you the opportunity to spend a term working in an arts-related organisation or arts-related role.

**Careers and employability**

Graduates can pursue career paths in writing and journalism, publishing, editing or research. Possible professions include:

- editorial assistant

- newspaper/magazine journalist

- writer

- academic librarian

- public relations officer.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment methods

A mixture of continuous assessment of written work and examinations: one three-hour examination in Year 1 and two three-hour examinations in Year 2. In Year 3 only certain modules have examinations.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
International
£17,620
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Birkbeck, University of London

Department:

School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

78%
English studies

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

English studies (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

89%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
87%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
85%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

77%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
78%
Course specific equipment and facilities
76%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

94%
UK students
6%
International students
35%
Male students
65%
Female students
88%
2:1 or above
23%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
C

After graduation


We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

English studies (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£24k

£24k

£28k

£28k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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